Today was another wondrous day for a grandmother and a little granddaughter. We got our breakfast of bagels and muffins and fruit and headed to the porch to perch in the swings and watch the birds. She made the muffins by herself but was traumatized by my Mason jar measuring cup. All old Mason jars have measuring cup lines. I don’t even have a traditional measuring cup.

The rain was gentle when we walked out on the porch but blowing in on the swings so we retreated to the house and ate our breakfast in the lady den. Just two of us today. Our other girlie will be back with us tomorrow. We put the porch ferns and peace lilies out on the sidewalk to enjoy the rain showers. The rain soon stopped and we spent a pleasant morning on the porch. I was teaching her how to ponder in the porch swing but she was really Pokemoning in the porch swing. We ate a snack mid-morning and then went swimming for a few hours.

This week I have been wearing my bathing suit that looks like shorts and a T-shirt. I call it Hilton Head. I bought it when I vacationed in Hilton Head with Thomas and his family. I actually wore it to the Dollar Tree the other day with Handley to buy her some swimming goggles. Really looks like a shorts’ outfit. Today I decided to wear the more traditional suit and I got stuck trying to get the bra down in the top! Had to get Stew to pull it down in the back. He said, “I can’t do it.” And I said, “Do it!” He did and I finally got everything everywhere it goes. But…taking it off is a story for another day! It was worse than when I was hog tied in the prairie dog position by the sports bra!

My granddaughter was the only camper today so I was her swimming playmate. Oldest sister-in-law cautioned me when we were doing pull-ups on the diving board of the aches and pains I would have tomorrow but youngest-sister-in law said it would probably be good for me. A couple of dog paddling races and I was just getting started. My granddaughter is on a swim team so naturally she left me in the dust. She had suggested dog paddle races, letting me push off the side of the pool with a five second head start, and she’d pass me halfway to the shallow end every race. We laughed so when she passed me it’s a wonder we didn’t choke and sink to the bottom of the pool.

Found out tonight how lacking I am in the grandmother hair care skills for little girls. I don’t have the dexterity in my hands to even put my granddaughter’s hair in a ponytail. She has a beautiful head of long thick hair, takes two ponytail holders to keep it in a ponytail. I’ve watched her every morning making her ponytail. “It’s okay, Patty. I can do it,” she says with her sweet smile.

She washed her hair tonight and needed me to comb the tangles out down the back. Well, I failed Hair Care 101 so terribly, the child Face-Timed her mother in tears because I couldn’t get all the tangles out. I just remembered how tender headed I was as a child and I didn’t want to brush too hard. A few pointers and suggestions from her mother and we combed the tangles out and the tears away. We will be brushing her hair three times a day from now on to keep these tangles away. So embarrassing to have your daughter-in-law watch you trying to comb tangles out! My mother will lightning bolt me for letting her go to bed with damp hair but her mama said it was ok.

After the hair fiasco, I took my bath and put on my pajamas. Walked all the way to my bed before I realized I had both legs in the same leg of the pajamas.

“The most precious jewels you will ever have around your neck are the arms of your children.” — Unknown